FORT MYERS, Fla. - For the sixth time in the past eight seasons, the 30th-ranked and top-seeded FGCU women's basketball team (28-4) is headed to the Big Dance after a dominating 72-49 win over 3rd-seeded Liberty (16-16) in the ASUN championship game inside Alico Arena on Sunday.

"I thought we got off to a great start today," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "Keri scored a bunch early for us and really helped us get a lead. I think everybody started to get energy at that point. It was just nice that it was a game where everybody played well and we could count on everybody to make positive contributions. We're really proud of this accomplishment and look forward to the NCAA Tournament."

With the victory, FGCU claimed its 19th-straight victory, which is the fourth-longest in the nation, and the team earned a program-record third straight NCAA Tournament berth. It is the program's sixth ASUN championship in eight seasons of eligibility.

Tournament MVP Keri Jewett-Giles scored a game-high 21 points on 7-for-15 shooting. She scored the game's first seven points in the opening minute and added six rebounds and six assists. Davion Wingate added 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting, while Destiny Washington chipped in 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Tytionia Adderly also joined Nasrin Ulel on the all-tournament team after producing a game-high 12 rebounds along with six assists and four rebounds.

After Jewett-Giles (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar HS) scored 11 of the game's first 13 points, FGCU took its first 10-point lead when Chandler Ryan grabbed a steal and converted a 3-pointer in transition with just under four minutes left.

The Eagles then closed the opening frame on a 10-0 run to take a 26-8 lead. The spurt included four points from Ulel (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta HS) and was highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Washington (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North HS) and Ryan (Groveland, Ill./Morton HS).  

Adderly (Jupiter, Fla./Cardinal Newman HS) sank two free throws to push the lead to as many as 26 with 2:26 left in the half. Liberty scored eight of the next 12 points following that, but FGCU led 44-24 at the break.

Ulel (3-pointer) and Washington (layup) combined for five points to open the second half, and Jewett-Giles added a fast break layup midway through the quarter for a 27-point margin. The lead grew to as many as 31 in the second half following a free throw from Jewett-Giles with 4:34 left in the fourth.

Notes
The Green and Blue are now 22-2 all-time in the ASUN tournament since first gaining eligibility in 2011-12.

Three of FGCU's opponents from this season will also be in the NCAA Tournament after winning their respective conference tournaments - Stanford, South Dakota State and Abilene Christian. Furthermore, Saint Francis, American and Hawaii all reached the championship games before falling.

Liberty was a reigning NCAA Tournament team as the defending Big South champion. This was their first season in the ASUN.

FGCU outscored Liberty 28-20 in the paint, 20-9 off turnovers and 21-2 in fast break points, although the Flames held a 19-11 margin in points off turnovers.

The top seed is now 66-14 all-time and has claimed 23 of the 34 ASUN tournaments.

This will be FGCU's 12th-consecutive postseason appearance, which includes NCAA tournament appearances in 2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Including this year's 5-0 record, FGCU is now 27-4 in the month of March over the past six seasons. They are 44-11 all-time in the month.
 
NCAA Selection Show Watch Party
With the win over Liberty, FGCU will host an NCAA selection show watch party on Monday night with doors opening at 6 p.m. Admission is free and fans can partake in the festivities before the selection show begins at 7 p.m.

2019 ASUN All-Tournament Team
Keri Jewett-Giles - FGCU (MVP)
Tytionia Adderly - FGCU
Nasrin Ulel - FGCU
Emily Lytle - Liberty
Kierra Johnson-Graham - Liberty
Ty Purifoy - North Florida
Kamiyah Street - Kennesaw State

FGCU's ASUN All-Tournament Team History
 
2018-19
Keri Jewett-Giles (MVP)
Tytionia Adderly
Nasrin Ulel

2017-18
China Dow (MVP)
Lisa Zderadicka
Rose Julien
 
2016-17
China Dow (MVP)
Jordin Alexander
Tytionia Adderly
 
2015-16
Kaneisha Atwater
Whitney Knight
 
2014-15
Whitney Knight (MVP)
Kaneisha Atwater
Jenna Cobb
 
2013-14
Jenna Cobb (MVP)
Kaneisha Atwater
Sarah Hansen
 
2012-13
Joyce Iamstrong (MVP)
Brittany Kennedy
Sarah Hansen
 
2011-12
Sarah Hansen (MVP)
Eglah Griffin
Courtney Chihil
Whitney Knight

FGCU's ASUN Tournament Single-Game Record Book
Bolded games are from this year

Points
31 - Dow, China @ Stetson, 03/12/17
31 - Iamstrong, Joyce @ Macon, Ga. vs. Stetson, 03/09/13
30 - Dow, China vs. Lipscomb, 03/07/18
27 - Nelson, Erica vs. Jacksonville, 03/08/17
23 - Iamstrong, Joyce @ Kennesaw State, 03/06/13
22 - Cobb, Jenna vs. Mercer, 03/15/14
22 - Iamstrong, Joyce @ Macon, Ga. vs. North Florida, 03/08/13
22 - Hansen, Sarah @ Macon, Ga. ETSU, 02/29/12
21 - Jewett-Giles, Keri vs Liberty, 03/17/19
21 - Knight, Whitney vs. Northern Kentucky, 03/15/15
20 - Gradinjan, Taylor vs. NJIT, 03/02/18
20 - Cobb, Jenna vs. Jacksonville, 03/11/15
 
3-Point Field Goals Made
8 - Dow, China vs. Lipscomb, 03/07/18
6 - Gradinjan, Taylor vs. NJIT, 03/02/18
6 - Iamstrong, Joyce @ Macon, Ga. vs. Stetson, 03/09/13
5 - Ulel, Nasrin vs. Lipscomb, 03/07/18
5 - Moore, Amanda vs. Lipscomb, 03/11/14
5 - Cobb, Jenna vs. Stetson, 03/16/14
4 - Jewett-Giles, Keri vs NJIT, 03/08/19
4 - Hansen, Sarah @ Macon, Ga. vs. Stetson, 03/03/12
4 - Gradinjan, Taylor vs. Lipscomb, 03/07/18
4 - Dow, China @ Stetson, 03/12/17
4 - Iamstrong, Joyce @ Kennesaw State, 03/06/13
4 - Iamstrong, Joyce @ Macon, Ga. vs. North Florida, 03/08/13
4 - Jacobson, Kelsey @ Macon, Ga. vs. Kennesaw State, 03/02/12
 
Free Throws Made
10 - Chihil, Courtney @ Macon, Ga. vs. ETSU, 02/29/12
8 - Nelson, Erica vs. Jacksonville, 03/08/17
6 - Julien, Rosemarie vs. NJIT, 03/02/18
6 - Julien, Rosemarie vs. Jacksonville, 03/11/18
6 - Nelson, Erica vs. North Florida, 03/03/17
6 - Gradinjan, Taylor vs. Jacksonville, 03/08/17
6 - Atwater, Kaneisha vs. Lipscomb, 03/11/14
6 - Hansen, Sarah @ Macon, Ga. Kennesaw State, 03/02/12
5 - Jewett-Giles, Keri vs Liberty, 03/17/19
5 - Dow, China @ Stetson, 03/12/17
5 - Atwater, Kaneisha vs. Northern Kentucky, 03/15/15
5 - Atwater, Kaneisha vs. Stetson, 03/16/14
 
Most Assists
9 - Alexander, Jordin @ Stetson, 03/12/17
8 - Kennedy, Brittany @ Macon, Ga. vs North Florida, 03/08/13
7 - Nelson, Erica vs. NJIT, 03/02/18
7 - Kennedy, Brittany @ Macon, Ga. vs. ETSU, 02/29/12
6 - Jewett-Giles, Keri vs Liberty, 03/17/19
6 - Adderly, Tytionia vs Liberty, 03/17/19
6 - Wingate, Davion vs Kennesaw State, 03/13/19
6 - Ryan, Chandler vs. Lipscomb, 03/07/18
6 - Nelson. Erica vs. Lipscomb, 03/07/18
6 - Dunson, DyTiesha vs. North Florida, 03/06/15
6 - Dunson, DyTiesha vs. Stetson, 03/16/14
6 - Kennedy, Brittany @ Kennesaw State, 03/06/13
6 - Chihil, Courtney @ Macon, Ga. vs Stetson, 03/03/12
 
Most Rebounds
14 - Adderly, Tytionia vs NJIT, 03/08/19
13 - Adderly, Tytionia vs Kennesaw State, 03/13/19
13 - Adderly, Tytionia vs. NJIT, 03/02/18
13 - Adderly, Tytionia vs. Jacksonville, 03/08/17
13 - Atwater, Kaneisha vs. Northern Kentucky, 03/15/15
12 - Adderly, Tytionia vs Liberty, 03/17/19
12 - Adderly, Tytionia vs. North Florida, 03/03/17
11 - Atwater, Kaneisha vs. Stetson, 03/16/14
10 - Dow, China @ Stetson, 03/12/17
9 - Alexander, Jordin @ Stetson, 03/12/17

COACH SMESKO
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko led the 2017-18 Eagles to another historic season. The Green and Blue finished 31-5 overall and 13-1 in ASUN play, capturing the program's eighth ASUN regular season championship and fifth ASUN tournament championship. The team finished the season ranked 25th in the final USA Today Coaches Poll, recaptured the NCAA record for most 3-point field goals made in a season with 431 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in seven seasons, where the Eagles knocked off 5th-seeded and No. 15 ranked Missouri in the opening round. It was the team's second tournament win over the past three appearances. Over the course of the season, FGCU knocked off three ranked teams - No. 15 Missouri, No. 20 Kentucky and No. 21 DePaul.
 
Over the past four seasons, Smesko has guided FGCU to three 30-plus win seasons while recording a 121-23 (.840) record overall. The now nine-time ASUN Coach of the Year (including 2018-19) rallied the 2016-17 team to its seventh straight 25-win campaign, culminating in an ASUN tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2015-16, he was named the espnW mid-major coach of the year following a run that witnessed the Eagles claim a WNIT runner-up finish and a Division-I program best ever 33-6 record. In 2014-15, the team achieved its first-ever top-25 ranking and made another trip to the NCAA Tournament, where the Eagles earned a No. 7 seed and won the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament game, toppling No. 10 seed Oklahoma State.
 
Including 2018-19, Smesko has guided the Eagles to 15-straight 20-win seasons and nine-straight 25-win seasons. He maintains a record of 524-118 (.816) overall in his career, including a 186-16 (.921) mark in ASUN play. Over the past eight seasons (including 2018-19), he has guided FGCU to a 124-4 (.969) record in conference play with five undefeated seasons. Smesko earned his 400th career coaching win in 2014-15 in just 493 career games, two games faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma. Entering 2018-19, he ranked among an elite list of just four active Division I coaches with a career win percentage of .800 or higher, joining Auriemma, Baylor's Kim Mulkey and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer in the esteemed group. Second-year NCAA Division-I head coaches Nancy Fahey (Illinois) and Bart Brooks (Belmont) pushed the list to six.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the-minute information and behind-the-scenes access to the women's basketball program, follow @FGCU_WBB on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook at /FGCUWBB.
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to contribute, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help.
 
SUPPORT THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAM
Do you enjoy watching or following the FGCU women's basketball program? Would you like to play a role in the growth of the program and help take it to heights never before experienced? If so, you can reach out to Director of Advancement, Matt Ring, about opportunities to make an impact on the experiences of our student-athletes. He can be reached by email at mring@fgcu.edu or by office phone at 239-745-4434.
 
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
 
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 75 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 11+ seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just seven+ seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 35 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best 6th-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the Spring, 2018 and had an ASUN Conference and State of Florida best five teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport.  The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.